NBA Championship Winner Predictions and OddsSan Antonio Spurs narrowly leads Oklahoma City Thunder, 22% to 20%

Weekly market recap

• LeBron James signs with 76ers: One of the offseason’s biggest questions was answered when James announced that he was headed to Philadelphia. The signing helped move the 76ers into third place in NBA title markets, behind the Spurs and Thunder.
• Spurs, Thunder open as early favorites: After the Knicks defeated the Spurs in five games to win the 2025-26 NBA title, traders shifted attention to next season. Oklahoma City and San Antonio are battling for the top spot on early pricing.

Last updated: July 30, 2026

Who is favored to win the 2027 NBA Finals?

The early favorites to win the NBA Finals are the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. The clubs played a thrilling seven-game series in last season’s Western Conference Finals. San Antonio came out on top and went on to lose the NBA Finals to the New York Knicks in five games.

Behind the leaders, the Philadelphia 76ers have emerged as the consensus third choice. The club had a productive off-season, swinging a trade for Jaylen Brown and adding LeBron James via free agency. The defending champion Knicks are in fourth place.

After the top four squads, the hierarchy is crowded. The Boston Celtics have the edge in the chase for fifth place on the board, but teams including the Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, and Minnesota Timberwolves are right on their tails.

Other supporting markets

Kalshi, Polymarket, and other leading prediction market platforms offer a range of NBA playoff markets. For a complete guide to the best places to trade, visit our prediction markets hub. Here are the key markets to know for trading on the postseason:

• Conference champion markets. Eastern and Western Conference champion contracts. These are distinct from the outright championship market and offer a way to bet on a team reaching the Finals without needing them to win it.
• Series winner markets. Individual first-round series contracts are available. Each contract is a binary on who wins a specific best-of-seven series. These contracts reprice in real time as games are played, and they can move dramatically after a single game.
• Finals MVP. Make the call on which player will win the award once the NBA Finals come to a close. Pricing will continue to evolve throughout the postseason and as the candidate pool narrows.
• Game-level markets. You can trade on game winners, spreads, totals, and various game-related props, like the first team to score 10 points. These are high-velocity contracts that open and close within a 24-48 hour window around each game.
• Player prop markets. You can trade on key player stat categories, like points, rebounds, and assists. Markets for marquee players can attract significant volume, while pricing for role players can be more sporadic. 

NBA postseason: structure and key dates

The NBA playoffs use a 16-team bracket: eight teams per conference, seeded 1 through 8, with all series best-of-seven. Higher seeds host Games 1, 2, 5, and 7. Teams that finish in the top six of their conference qualify directly. Teams finishing seventh through tenth compete in the Play-In Tournament for the final two spots per conference. The full schedule for the 2026-27 NBA season is expected to be released in mid-August. This page will be updated with key dates once that happens.

NBA Finals history and trends

Here’s a look back at the results for the last decade of NBA Finals.

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Games	Finals MVP
Year	Champion	Runner-up	Games	Finals MVP
2026	New York Knicks	San Antonio Spurs	5	Jalen Brunson
2025	Oklahoma City Thunder	Indiana Pacers	7	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
2024	Boston Celtics	Dallas Mavericks	5	Jaylen Brown
2023	Denver Nuggets	Miami Heat	5	Nikola Jokic
2022	Golden State Warriors	Boston Celtics	6	Stephen Curry
2021	Milwaukee Bucks	Phoenix Suns	6	Giannis Antetokounmpo
2020	Los Angeles Lakers	Miami Heat	6	LeBron James
2019	Toronto Raptors	Golden State Warriors	6	Kawhi Leonard
2018	Golden State Warriors	Cleveland Cavaliers	4	Kevin Durant
2017	Golden State Warriors	Cleveland Cavaliers	5	Kevin Durant

The Boston Celtics lead the way with the most NBA championships all time at 18, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers with 17. The Golden State Warriors are third with seven, followed by the Chicago Bulls (6) and San Antonio Spurs (5). Here are some key trends to consider: 

• Back-to-back titles are becoming rare. No team has repeated since Golden State in 2017-18. Eight different franchises have won the championship since that point, including another win for the Warriors in 2022.
• No. 1 seeds win roughly one-in-four. The No. 1 overall seed has won the championship in four of the last ten seasons (OKC in 2025, Lakers in 2020, Warriors in 2018 and 2017).
• First-time champions are becoming common. Six of the last ten champions won their franchise’s first title or a long-awaited one. Of the 30 NBA franchises, 10 are still on the hunt for their first-ever crown.

How NBA prediction markets work

A prediction market contract on the NBA Finals is a binary position on a single outcome: will a specific team win the 2027 NBA Finals? Each contract is priced in cents, and that price is the market’s implied probability. A contract at $0.48 means traders collectively assign a 48% chance to that team winning.

If the outcome resolves Yes, each contract pays out $1. If No, it pays out $0. Contracts can be bought or sold at any time before the market closes. As an example, a trader who bought OKC at $0.20 earlier in the season and watches the price reach $0.50 can sell and lock in a return without needing to know the outcome.

Unlike a sportsbook, there is no house margin embedded in the price. Sportsbook odds build in a vig that ensures the house profits regardless of the outcome. Prediction market prices reflect genuine crowd conviction. For additional insight and guidance on how it all works, check out our sports markets hub or see our article on market fees.

NBA Finals resolution criteria

Knowing exactly when and how your contracts settle matters as much as the price you paid. Here is the resolution language sourced directly from both platforms.

• Kalshi: If [team] win the 2027 Pro Basketball Finals, then the market resolves to Yes. Outcome verified from NBA. Contracts are mutually exclusive — only one team resolves Yes. The market closes after the title holder is declared. If no resolution occurs, the market expires July 30, 2029 at 10:00 a.m. EDT.
• Polymarket: This market will resolve to Yes if [team] win the 2026 NBA Finals. Otherwise, this market will resolve to No. This market will resolve to No if it becomes impossible for this team to win the 2026 NBA Finals based off the rules of the NBA. The resolution source for this market will be information from the NBA. Projected resolution date: by June 30, 2027, 11:59 PM ET.

Contracts on eliminated teams resolve to “No” at the point elimination is confirmed. When a team loses its series, its contracts close. The real-time trading aspect of prediction markets provides flexibility. Sellers can exit and cut losses before resolution, provided there is liquidity to support that sale. 

Where to trade NBA Finals prediction markets

The NBA championship market is live on multiple platforms right now, each with different regulatory structures, fee models, and bonus offers. Here is what you need to know about each.

• Kalshi is the primary CFTC-regulated prediction market for US traders. Available in 49 states, Kalshi carries the deepest regulated US liquidity on NBA championship contracts and a full suite of supporting markets.
• Polymarket carries the highest global volume on the 2027 NBA champion market. Crypto-settled and globally accessible, Polymarket US operates as a separate CFTC-regulated entity for US-based traders. Polymarket shows individual team volume alongside prices, which gives traders visibility into where money is flowing.
• OG Predictions offers NBA markets with a competitive bonus structure. Liquidity is lower than Kalshi and Polymarket on NBA Finals contracts. Be sure to check the bid-ask before entering a position.
• DraftKings Predictions brings one of the most recognizable brands in US sports to the prediction market space. NBA coverage is available with a user experience familiar to anyone who has used the DraftKings sportsbook.
• FanDuel Predicts is another major sportsbook operator that has expanded into prediction markets. NBA Finals contracts are available with a streamlined interface suited for traders coming from a traditional sports betting background.
• Underdog Predict rounds out the field with broad NBA market coverage and a familiar environment for sports-focused traders. The daily fantasy sports giant has made significant strides in the prediction markets space. 

Prediction market trading is available nationwide. That includes states that don’t currently offer traditional sports betting, including California and Texas. For additional details on the latest offers, check out our list of the best bonuses for prediction markets.